Justin Baldoni is suing his former publicist Stephanie Jones for leaking intimate text messages that fueled his court fight against Blake Lively.
The case has snowballed into a multi-layered lawsuit featuring Hollywood stars and bombshell claims of betrayal and bad behaviour.
Why is Justin Baldoni suing his ex-publicist?
Stephanie Jones, Justin Baldoni’s former publicist, is being sued by him and Jennifer Abel for allegedly “maliciously” leaking texts that led to a legal dispute with Blake Lively.
From the suit, Jones engaged in acts of vengeance following his firing, which landed him into multiple legal fights that included various figures in Hollywood as well as those who worked as publicists.
When news of a conflict between the director and Lively first surfaced last summer, Jones was the spokesperson for Baldoni and his Wayfarer Studios. As rumors circulated about why Lively and a few cast members had stopped following the director on Instagram, Abel served as Jones’ partner at Joneswork PR and the point of contact for the Baldoni account.ALSO READ: Elon Musk slashes support for Ashley St. Clair in cold-blooded response to her custody battle over their son
How did the leaked text messages escalate the legal battle?
Stephanie Jones started this disastrous chain of events by betraying her clients’ most fundamental privacy rights and any remaining trust, said Bryan Freedman, Baldoni’s lawyer, in a statement to Variety.
“Ms. Jones, who was no stranger to creating panic situations for departing customers, malevolently gave communications from the phone she had stolen from her own partner to her associate, Lively’s personal publicist Leslie Sloane, as soon as Jones was fired for cause by Wayfarer for her own wrongdoing.”
According to the most recent lawsuit, Jones’s alleged treatment of staff members and clients, as well as unfavourable press about her in publications like Puck and Business Insider and on an anonymous website, causes her to become more and more paranoid and shaken.
As client Baldoni and partner Abel announced their intentions to leave Jonesworks, the complaint alleges that Jones, who was depending on a psychic, then planned a campaign of retaliation against them.
What other legal actions have been filed in connection to this case?
This latest complaint is the sixth lawsuit involving the “It Ends With Us” parties, and it was filed in a federal court in New York on Friday.
Blake Lively’s complaint has claimed universal attention ever since after it was reported in The New York Times by quoting thousands of text messages which had been allegedly accessed by Jennifer Abel, ex-public relations business partner to Baldoni. Abel says that Jones seized her phone wrongfully, then handed its contents over to Lively’s lawyers without a subpoena.
Baldoni’s lawsuit describes a chaotic sequence of events, including allegations that Jones used aggressive tactics to access confidential information. The complaint details how Abel was confronted at her office by security personnel and forced to surrender her phone. Abel alleges that Jones’ actions left her unable to access her own accounts, while Jones allegedly handed over sensitive materials to Lively’s representatives, leading to a public smear campaign.
The fallout has spawned several lawsuits. Baldoni and his representatives have sued The New York Times for $250 million in defamation, and Lively has counter-sued Baldoni for retaliation. In turn, Baldoni has sued Lively and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, for $400 million for civil extortion and defamation.
FAQs
Why is Justin Baldoni suing Stephanie Jones?
Baldoni claims Jones maliciously leaked private texts, resulting in legal trouble between him and Blake Lively, violating his privacy and harming his reputation.
How does Blake Lively factor into the lawsuit?
Blake Lively filed a complaint against Baldoni, claiming workplace harassment. The lawsuit claims that leaked texts were used to back up these allegations, sparking a legal firestorm.
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